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I feel like she's started so many different looks here -- glossy 1950s hair, Victorian lace, bold military, dangerous aviators, long decorated nails, and that very modern delicate trace of a necklace. I suppose the mix is a look in itself. I wonder what she's got on her nether half?

I'm fascinated by that tiny necklace. I'll bet it costs thousands of dollars!

Fiona Graham - Re your Starbucks comment. I agree, one should always support your local coffee joint. Only problem is that there really isn't a lot of other options for coffee in Japan except for Starucks. Every time I go to Japan I have no choice but to go to Starbucks for coffee.

Great. Hair. Can't get over great hair. She is very pretty in every aspect, not the least because of what she's wearing. I would love to wear each piece, though the aviators are in my opinion an added extra, that this time don't fit with the rest of the outfit..they seem a bit too heavy, sporty and plastic( like they are ;)) in comparison with the lightness of the lacy dress. But still, an outfit I really like!

Her hair-colour is perfection. So many asians get absolutely destroyed by colorists who don't understand how to avoid the atrocious, cheap-looking red tones that emerge when you lighten asian hair...this girl is lucky!

It's funny that talking about "coffee" a lot here ... as Fionamcindoe.com said... there isn't too much choice for take away coffee in Tokyo. There are some Japanese coffee chain shops like Doutor though...which is much cheaper but good!

I agree with Caught the Light in his comment that Starbucks makes her a modern classic.

The hair style, the delicate lace top, and the necklace marries femininity with modernity inspired by the shades and Starbucks. The way she's wrapping her military jacket around her shoulders enriches this feminine look of hers and adds refinement.

You should look past and not honor what type of cup she is holding. She is "put together" nicely (hair, skin, nails,)I actually like the cup. It's as if she could be behind you in line, at said cafe' shop. That no one here like's ,yet can't stop talking about..

She's gorgeous! After your last few shots in Tokyo, I was beginning to think everybody in Japan dresses like cartoon characters. This is a refreshing change!

Christopher said ... (8:21 PM) :

Unfortunately, for the most part Tokyo doesn't have independent coffee shops the way that, say, New York or other cities in the U.S. does. There are a series of Japanese chains that I would argue make worse coffee than Starbucks, at an equally high cost as Starbucks. (Starting price for anything in a Starbucks in Japan is over $3, including regular drip coffee). So the coffee lover is in a bit of jam in Japan where Starbucks often presents the least bad option when out on the town - disappointing but true.

Beautiful. She immediately reminded me of the actress in "Monsoon Wedding."

Emmalee said ... (11:15 PM) :

Like a modern Audrey Hepburn. Love it.A side note, I am bothered by the comments about her looking like a "doll." I can't tell you how many times I get told I look like a "china doll," and it's demeaning. It perpetuates the idea that East Asian women are objects, not people, that they are delicate and child-like, therefore subservient, and that all East Asians look the same. This woman in no way is dressed in a lolita style, and if it weren't known that this shot was taken in Tokyo, her racial identity would likely not be recognized. If you think she has porcelain-like skin, say so, but please be aware of the connotations the word "doll" carries.

She's supremely glamorous without the high fashion threads? She manages to transform an ugly plastic straw into a very seductive prop?? She oozes Veronica Lake mystique without the slightest effort??? I bow to her.

her style is quite refreshing - not like the stereotypical out-of-this-world styles that magazines like FRUIT publish, and not like the run-of-the-mill trends that most commercial Japanese magazines publish

-as for the Starbucks...I agree but there are very few to-go coffee places in Japan. Local coffee shops rarely offer the to-go option, unless you have your own coffee tumbler.

Anonymous said ... (11:15 AM) :

She does look adorable but as an Asian woman who is constantly inundated (by friends, relatives and Asian media) with tips, news and gossip regarding the latest plastic surgery trends, I am 99.9% certain that her lips (ESP. the upper one), nose and her eyes were all altered. How can I tell about her eyes you ask? The glimpse of her right eye through the tiny space between her aviators. If you look carefully, you'll see how round and perfect her eye (and eyelid) is - 99.9% of the time, this is achieved through surgery. Second, her nose has no bumps and is perfectly straight. Although in her case, to achieve a more "natural" nose, she didn't get that extra lift on the bridge that many women get. And lastly, 99.9% of Asians do not have lips like those. And even if we did, do we know any people whose upper and lower lips are different sizes from one another? Now, I'm no plastic surgeon but I'm surrounded on a daily basis by women (many Asian) who have gotten work done on their faces. And in Japan (and Asia in general), plastic surgery is so common that even pre-teens get them and it's no longer as taboo as it once was. Not hating or anything. Just saying.

I came here to look at the pictures, but am finding another sight more interesting to consider:That of people dissecting the same photograph of a person and with two strong opposite opinions of its cultural representations & beauty.A question: Would we scrutinize the same people in the same way if we were to see them in real life?

Amazing hair and the pleating in the blouse. Everything.. gorgeous. @Fiona Graham Coffee Culture is pretty much defined by Starbucks in Japan. This isn't Western culture, but if it was I'd totally agree :)

If only my hair would stay that way for a day. Sigh... And those nails....longer sigh....

I simply have to respond to the comment re that she may had work done. I'm Asian with full lips and double eye lids. And last time I looked lots of people like me where I live. Women as well as men. 99.9% may be a gross over estimation. Besides, she could mixed race. Just saying...

Catastrophy: I agree with your comment about the over estimation, though that percentage sounded more like facetiousness to me than anything else, as well as that there are indeed Asians who are born with more Western features than others but this woman's face in the photo kind of looks too "constructed." (sorry, can't really think of another term right now.) It may just be the quality of the photograph or her makeup. Either way, she does look beautiful.

Isobel said ... (2:03 PM) :

@anonymous 11.15.I think you are being quite presumptuous about this girl, particularly considering how little you can see in this picture. as a doctor, i coudn't possibly imagine being "99.9% sure" on anything regarding surgery from seeing a fashion shot, so your conclusions are ridiculous.

also, how do we know she is asian? she could even be mixed race? i think assuming such negative things about her based on her appearance is exactly the type of attitude that leads people to elective cosmetic surgery.

and to contradict your statement, many people do have fuller upper rather than lower lips, myself included and if she had had surgery, this would more than likely have been corrected.

whether or not she has is irrelevant, but i choose to belive she has not. she is a beaut.

To find an Asian with lips like that, do a Google search for "Princess Chulaborn"

Trust me, her lips have looked like that forever. Some Asians, especially those with a bit of Southeast Asian blood in them, have larger lips than Northern Asians.

Anonymous said ... (2:48 PM) :

Good morning, hair rollers! Good bye, straightening iron!

Anonymous said ... (3:00 PM) :

Wow - Great photo! A sexist description to make of a woman but she truly does look like a doll.

I wonder if the subjects of these photos ever read these comments and if so, how they feel about the various assessments that are made of them? I suppose for this photo, the 2 subjects would be this young lady and Starbucks?

Scott - ever consider doing intereview sessions with your models and give a voice to their photos? I imagine it to be quite interesting.

Anonymous said ... (3:02 PM) :

This photo made me gasp. Whether she has had work done or not, she is absolutely stunning - an amazing shot.

Love her look and what I love most is the fact that she's drinking a full fat Frapp.. with whipped cream to boot!

Regarding the whole coffee and fake lip discussion, can't we just focus on the beauty of a picture and leave prejudice out of it?? Moreover, whether her lips are "done" or not, she's still a gorgeous girl.

www.kiranscorner.com

Anonymous said ... (6:09 PM) :

her lips are simply luxurious! amazing! the hair is also stunning... i'm in love!

The one thing I haven't noticed anyone comment on, and I didn't read all the comments, so someone might have mentioned it, is the necklace. It's soooooo delicate, just the perfect little accessory for the perfect modern doll.

maximum said ... (6:52 PM) :

I don't think anyone's really denied her beauty (Starbucks seems to be getting mixed reviews though). People are just stating what they are viewing, perhaps even offering their own interpretation of what the concept of "beauty" means now.

Dear god, I want those glasses. The picture is kinda very perfect. Grr.

Anonymous said ... (7:04 PM) :

Sigh. There are plenty of asians with full lips and/or double eyelids. Please stop assuming that all asian girls with western-ish features (i.e. not the stereotypical asian perpetuated in western society), are the result of cosmetic surgery.

I'm Asian so other's asian relax with the surgery talk unless you can give me her full name and her medical surgery list please stop criticizing i know that how our parents raise us to constantly stare at each other to figure out our asian ethnicity, to see what our history wants us to believe about each other...also south east asians have full lips, bodies, are usually not light skin, also you never know if something mixed along her bloodline, also japanese people have the most interesting bridges i don't know if it's because of the war, mixing over time but look at any japanese street style book, crazy bridges left and right and koreans technically win in the plastic surgery race for asians since the US has alot of influence there by choice the japanese don't like our presence much and the japanese don't even care if your teeth aren't perfect which is a westernized idea of beauty

this is just a beautiful moment captures, skin, nails( and person who said these nails were gross, this is just how japanese culture is obsessed with long, overly decorated nails, it's like if someone makes fun of the popery in your mother's bathroom, it's a culture thing), who cares that it's a starbucks thing i just keep thinking the green straw adds color to the photo

I think she represents modern Japan quite well. She's mixed so many looks while still maintaining that delicacy that is so popular. She is stunning, and I think that the Starbucks just makes her seem real. Without it she would be too ethereal and almost editorial.

All in all, one of my favourite photos I've ever seen on here. What a beautiful moment.

i am not a fan of starbucks myself and avoid it at all costs. However this does make me crave some iced coffee stat! I know where I will be this afternoon! Great pic!xoxoKC http://www.letterstobetsy.com

Jess said ... (12:33 PM) :

Such great attitude. Definitely feeling the Marilyn Monroe vibe here, but she's completely hijacked it and made it her own.

Just as the comments suggesting cosmetic surgery are ridiculous, I think the comments rebutting them are equally outrageous. What is this underlying, unspoken negative air surrounding cosmetic surgery? Maybe she did and maybe she didn't. It's just an observation. Our society has become so receptive of it that we no longer feel the need to hide it if we get something done here or there. Some people are getting into an uproar that others are assuming that this lady got work done. Valid point but at the same time, how do we know that she didn't? And if she did, how do we know that it hasn't helped her become a more confident and beautiful woman? I've met people who love it when they get complimented on the work that's been done as much as being told that he/she is naturally gorgeous.

This woman is beautiful no matter what. And the photography is out of this world. Nice job!